Bea Gigante and Journey Beier had a life changing experience at the Arts and Human Rights Festival run by Dah Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia.

Bea Gigante learned, “Art can change the world. Dah Theatre’s festival taught me that in order to create peace, we first must think peace, imagine peace, then practice peace.”

Like Gigante, Beier found, “discussing international history allowed me to see how we all view history so differently depending on where we’re from. We need to communicate better to create a better global society.”

Communication is exactly what Gigante and Beier found themselves doing throughout the festival. A common theme of their discussions was learning how students who live under authoritarian regimes use art in their protests to motivate change.

Beier was intrigued by how “the techniques used by student protesters granted them protection from their abusive governments.”

Gigante and Beier plan to share their performance with students at Beloit and Beyond. Also, watch for workshops for Beloit students through Artists for Change!